Two-wheeled vehicle



(No Model.)

w. OBRIEN.

TWO WEBBLED VEHICLE.

N0..2'75,51 2. Patented Apr .10,1883.

UNITED STATESi PATENT OFFICE.

WILLlS OBRIEN, on SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

TWO-WHEELED -VEHICLE.

srn o rrrc arroiv forming-part. f Letters Patent Nb. 275,512, dated April 10, 1883.

' Application filedEebruary 5,1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: I v

Be it known that I, WILLIS OBRIEN,'ot' San Francisco, county of San Francisco, State of vehicle an easy-riding conveyance by relieving the body of thejogging motion of the horse.

These improvements consist in a peculiar spring-connection for the front of the body to limit and ease its play, and in a novel attachment of the whiffletree, whereby the freedom of the shafts and the consequent independence of the body may operate to the best effect, all of which will. hereinafter fully appear, referenoe being made to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view, showing the application of my improvements to the vehicle. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the vehicle. Fig. 3 is a section taken on line as m, Fig. 2.

Let A represent the axle, to which are rigand the lower or foot-board portionbeing secured on the cross portion of the spring extending underneath.

1) represents the shafts, curved downward attheir rear ends. These have an eye, d, on their ends, by which they are journaled or hinged upon pins or bolts e, extending outwardly from each side of the forward portion of the body. Now, it is obvious that I must have some means of limiting the play of the body to prevent it from turning over, and whatever connection I employ must be with the shafts,and not a rigid one, for in that case the motion of the shafts would be transmitted to the body.

E represents the cross-bar between the shafts, set at an angle, as shown. The front of the body 0 is carried up behind and above the cross-bar, and terminates in a bar, 0, above which the dasher extends.

Bolted to the bar 0 of the body near each end and to the sides of the body below are clips F. These are somewhat elongated, and embrace the cross-bar E of the shafts loosely, so that said bar may play up and down in said clips.

Bolted to the under center of the crossbar E is'a long flat spring, 112, the ends of which extend to and find a bearing in the bottom of the clips F under the ends of the cross-bar.

Secured to the top center of the cross-bar E is a similar spring, m, the ends of which extend within the clips above the bar and press up under the edge of the body. The body is thus secured to the shafts, but each within limits is independent of the other. The weight of the riders, when thrown back on the seat, will tilt thebody to bring its front to about the position shown in Fig. 1, where the crossbar E is about the center of the clips F. The jogging of the horse moves the shafts up and down, and their cross-bar E has a play in the clips without affecting the body; and the body itself, in working on its springs, as when passing over a rough road, has its play on the crossbar, being limited by its clips and eased by the springs m m. Thus the motion of the shafts does not affect the body, which, on account of its independence, renders the vehicle an easyriding one. In order not to impair this independence,I do not attach the whiffletree G to the shafts, but to the bar 0 of the body. If it were secured to the shafts, the draft upon it would have a tendency to prevent the free movement of the shafts upon their journal-pins e, and thus there would be the tendency to transmit some of the movement through said pins to the body. This would naturally result I ICO 1. In a two-wheeled vehicle, the shafts D, hinged to the vehicle, and having a crossbar, E, in combination with the means for connecting the front of the body and limiting its play, consisting of the clips F, bolted to the front of the body and loosely embracing the cross-bar E of the shafts, and the flat springs m m, secured by their centers to said cross-bar below and above, their ends finding bearings in said clips below and against the body above, substantially as herein described.

2. In a two-wheeled vehicle, the body 0, having side pins or bolts, 0, and the clips F,bolted to its front, in combination with the shafts D, hinged orjournaled upon pins 0, the cross-bar E, fitting loosely through clips F, and the fiat springs m m, secured by their centers to said cross-bar below and above, and extending into said clips, substantially as herein described.

3. In a two-wheeled vehicle, the shafts D, hinged to said vehicle, and a spring-connection between the body of the vehicle and the shafts, in combination with the whiffletree G,

secured to the body of the vehicle,whereby the draft is removed from the shafts, substantially as herein described.

4. In a twowheeled vehicle, the body 0, having side pins, e, and a front bar, 0, and the whit'fletree G, secured to said bar, in combination with the shafts D, hinged to said pins 0, and a spring-connection between the body and said shafts, substantially as herein described.

5. In a two-wheeled vehicle, the bodyO, having side pins, 0, a front bar, 0, and the clips F, as shown, and the whiffletree G, secured to said bar, in combination with the shafts D, hinged upon said pins, the cross-bar E, fitting loosely in the clips F, and the flat springs m m, secured to the bar and bearing in the clips and on the body, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand.

' WILLIS OBRIEN.

Witnesses:

G. W. EMERSON, J. H. BLOOD. 

